1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to animal food stuffs, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to an improved animal feed supplement. In one aspect, the present invention relates to a method for producing an improved animal feed supplement.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
The diet of animals, such as horses, has long been recognized as an important factor in the development of the animal. Further, the demands placed on today's race and performance horses require increased amounts of available energy for internal work as well as external work. A maintenance diet will not supply these energy demands.
Internal work is done by the body organs to perform vital functions. External work ranges from minimal movement of a horse in a stall or paddock, to the tremendous effort required for racing or performance. External work increases the oxidation of the horse's feed as it is converted to energy. This oxidation process depletes the oxygen supply in the blood stream. To allow the horse to perform at maximum potential, blood building vitamins and minerals are generally fed to the horse to produce additional oxygen-carrying agents in the bloodstream in order to make more energy available to the horse.
Grooming of the animal, especially show and performance horses, is a very important factor for such animals. Outside grooming alone will not give the healthy, illustrous hair coat necessary for winning show horses. Show horses must also be "groomed inside". Thus, vitamins, minerals and enzymes not supplied by maintenance rations must be added.
Another important area of diet of an animal is encountered in breeding. Before one can have a race horse, a performance horse, or a show horse, the mare must first conceive and produce a healthy foal. This process involves potency of the stallion, the health of the mare, milk production of the mare, and the development of the foal before and after birth. Proper nutrition plays a vital role in all of these processes. Since many of the maintenance rations do not contain the amount of vitamins, minerals and enzymes required for the proper nutrition of the mare and the foal, such must often be supplied if one is to be successful in the breeding of the horses and the raising of the desirable foal.
In order to supply the required amount of vitamins, minerals and enzymes not supplied by maintenance rations, feed supplements are recognized as a desirable method for supplementing the diet of the horse to provide such vital components. However, the animal feed supplement is desirably palatable, preferably without the use of artificial flavors and the like. Further, to be totally effective it desirably does not contain artificial preservatives and is not steamed or pelleted during processing, especially if one desires to preserve the stability of the vitamins present in the feed supplement. Therefore, new and improved feed supplements are constantly being sought which provides the desired amount of vitamins, minerals and enzymes required to supplement the maintenance rations of the animal, and provide the animal with good nutrition.